Health care utilization and adults who are deaf: Relationship with age at onset of deafness

Health Services Research, Feb, 2002 by Steven Barnett, Peter Franks

Table 1:

Range of Age at Onset of Deafness: Distribution for Deaf Adults

Age-at-Onset Category                n (a)  (Percent) (b)

Before 3rd birthday                  183      (6.6)
Between 3rd and 19th birthdays       273     (10.0)
Before 19th birthday (but unknown     12      (0.5)
 if before or after age 3 years)
After 19th birthday                2,260     (82.9)

Note: Answers from deaf adults (n = 2,728) to questions on age range at
onset of deafness.

(a)Number of respondents, unweighted.

(b)Calculated using survey weights.
Table 2:

Sociodemographic Characteristics of the Deaf and Hearing Samples

                          Percent or Mean (a) [  or -]
                                 SE (b) (n) (c)

Characteristic            Hearing

Age in years              44.0 [  or -] 0.2 (49,546)
Male                      46.9 [  or -] 0.3 (49,546)
Caucasian                 85.1 [  or -] 0.6 (49,546)
Reside outside a MSA (d)  21.5 [  or -] 0.7 (49,546)
Married (not separated)   66.1 [  or -] 0.4 (48,775)
Have a telephone          95.0 [  or -] 0.2 (49,313)

Education level                             (48,373)
 Less than 12 years       20.7 [  or -] 0.4
 High school graduate     37.9 [  or -] 0.4
 Beyond high school       41.4 [  or -] 0.5

Income of family                            (49,546)
 Less than $10,000        27.6 [  or -] 0.6
 $10,000-$19,999          15.9 [  or -] 0.3
 $20,000--$34,999         21.3 [  or -] 0.4
 $35,000 or more          35.2 [  or -] 0.5

                          Percent or Mean (a) [  or
                              -] SE (b) (n) (c)

Characteristic            Prelingual Deaf

Age in years              44.5 [  or -] 1.5 (183)
Male                      48.1 [  or -] 3.6 (183)
Caucasian                 91.0 [  or -] 2.4 (183)
Reside outside a MSA (d)  23.9 [  or -] 3.3 (183)
Married (not separated)   49.8 [  or -] 4.3 (182)
Have a telephone          86.8 [  or -] 3.2 (181)

Education level                             (180)
 Less than 12 years       34.5 [  or -] 4.1
 High school graduate     40.1 [  or -] 4.0
 Beyond high school       25.3 [  or -] 4.0

Income of family                            (183)
 Less than $10,000        30.6 [  or -] 3.7
 $10,000-$19,999          18.8 [  or -] 3.4
 $20,000-$34,999          26.8 [  or -] 4.1
 $35,000 or more          23.8 [  or -] 3.6

                           Percent or Mean (a) [  or
                               -] SE (b) (n) (c)

Characteristic            Postlingual Deaf

Age in years              70.0 [  or -] 0.4 (2,545)
Male                      59.1 [  or -] 1.0 (2,545)
Caucasian                 93.2 [  or -] 0.7 (2,545)
Reside outside a MSA (d)  33.5 [  or -] 1.7 (2,545)
Married (not separated)   61.3 [  or -] 1.1 (2,544)
Have a telephone          96.2 [  or -] 0.4 (2,538)

Education level                             (2,509)
 Less than 12 years       45.5 [  or -] 1.3
 High school graduate     30.4 [  or -] 1.0
 Beyond high school       24.1 [  or -] 1.1

Income of family                            (2,545)
 Less than $10,000        39.6 [  or -] 1.3
 $10,000-$19,999          23.2 [  or -] 0.9
 $20,000--$34,999         18.1 [  or -] 0.9
 $35,000 or more          19.1 [  or -] 1.1

(a)Except age, which is presented as a mean, the results are
percentages.

(b)Standard error.

(c)Number of respondents, unweighted.

(d)Metropolitan statistical area defined by the U.S. Office of
Management and Budget.
Table 3:

Health Care Utilization and Health of the Deaf and Hearing Samples

                                   Percent or mean (a) [  or -]
                                          SE (b) (n) (c)
Characteristic                     Hearing

Doctor visited within the          86.1 [  or -] 0.2 (48,655)
 last 2 years
Doctor visits in last 12 months    4.33 [  or -] 0.07 (49,546)
Regular source of care             79.5 [  or -] 0.4 (23,690)
Private health insurance (d)       79.5 [  or -] 0.5 (17,222)
Blood pressure checked             88.0 [  or -] 0.3 (23,106)
  within 2 years
Cholestrol tested ever             57.8 [  or -] 0.5 (22,856)
Pap smear (women) within           61.6 [  or -] 0.6 (12,749)
  the past year
Mammogram within the               69.5 [  or -] 0.8 (6,119)
  last 2 years (e)
Dental visit within the last year  59.9 [  or -] 0.5 (23,524)
Health Status Index (f)            0.85 [  or -] 0.00 (49,546)

                                   Percent or mean (a) [  or
                                       -] SE (b) (n) (c)
Characteristic                     Prelingual Deaf

Doctor visited within the          83.7 [  or -] 3.0 (180)
 last 2 years
Doctor visits in last 12 months    4.78 [  or -] 0.76 (182)
Regular source of care             81.9 [  or -] 5.4 (80)
Private health insurance (d)       66.5 [  or -] 7.7 (57)
Blood pressure checked             88.1 [  or -] 3.9 (78)
  within 2 years
Cholestrol tested ever             51.4 [  or -] 6.8 (78)
Pap smear (women) within           48.3 [  or -] 8.2 (53)
  the past year
Mammogram within the               69.7 [  or -] 11.9 (22)
  last 2 years (e)
Dental visit within the last year  49.0 [  or -] 6.8 (79)
Health Status Index (f)            0.68 [  or -] 0.02 (183)

                                   Percent or mean (a) [  or -]
                                          SE (b) (n) (c)
Characteristic                     Postlingual Deaf

Doctor visited within the          93.5 [  or -] 0.5 (2,517)
 last 2 years
Doctor visits in last 12 months    8.18 [  or -] 0.39 (2,533)
Regular source of care             90.3 [  or -] 1.0 (1,259)
Private health insurance (d)       74.5 [  or -] 2.0 (684)
Blood pressure checked             92.8 [  or -] 0.8 (1,206)
  within 2 years
Cholestrol tested ever             73.3 [  or -] 1.7 (1,138)
Pap smear (women) within           39.8 [  or -] 2.5 (567)
  the past year
Mammogram within the               59.4 [  or -] 2.8 (525)
  last 2 years (e)
Dental visit within the last year  43.0 [  or -] 1.7 (1,240)
Health Status Index (f)            0.62 [  or -] 0.01 (2,545)

(a)Except doctor visits and health status index, the results represent
percentage answering "yes."

(b)Standard error.

(c)Number of respondents, unweighted.

(d)In the past month.

(e)Women 50 years and older.

(f)Healthy People 2000 YHL measure. Scale 0-1, where 1 is healthy.
Table 4:

Adjusted Relationship Between Health Care Utilization and Postlingual
Deafness

                            Not Adjusted for   Adjusted for
Dependent Variables         Health Status (a)  Health Status (a)

Doctor visits -- None in    0.60 (0.50, 0.73)  0.81 (0.66,0.98)
 the preceding 2 years (b)

Log doctor visits in
 the preceding 1 year (c)

 Age < 45 years             0.48 (0.26, 0.70)  0.17 (-0.03, 0.37)
 Age 45-64                  0.24 (0.12, 0.36)  0.01 (-0.09, 0.11)
 Age > 64                   0.22 (0.14, 0.30)  0.05 (-0.01, 0.11)

Mammogram -- None in the    1.40 (1.05, 1.86)  1.43 (1.07, 1.92)
 preceding 2 years (b,d)

Notes: Analyses compare postlingually deafened adults with hearing
adults and are adjusted for age, sex, race, marital status, education
level, and income.

(a)Health Status Index, Healthy People 2000 YHL measure.

(b)Logistic regression analyses, with adjusted odds ratio (95 percent
confidence interval).

(c)Linear regression, with parameter coefficients (95 percent confidence
interval).

(d)Woman 50 years of age and older.
Table 5:

Adjusted Relationship Between Health Care Utilization and Prelingual
Deafness

                             Not Adjusted for      Adjusted for
Dependent Variables         Health Status (a)    Health Status (a)

Doctor visits -- None in    1.16 (0.70, 1.92)    2.02 (1.25, 3.25)
 the preceding 2 years (b)
Log doctor visits in        0.18 (-0.06, 0.42)  -0.22 (-0.36, 0.00)
 the preceding 1 year (c)

Notes: Analyses compare prelingually deafened adults with hearing adults
and adjusted for age, sex, race, marital status, education level, and
income.

(a)Health Status Index, Healthy People 2000 YHL measure.

(b)Logistic regression analyses, with adjusted odds ratio (95 percent
confidence interval).

(c)Linear regression, with parameter coefficients (95 percent confidence
interval).